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Welcome to The Riverside Playgroup
Riverside Playgroup is a charity-based childcare provider offering sessions for children aged 2 years up until school age.
We believe that children learn best through play and take a holistic approach to childcare - our children foster curiosity, creativity and thrive in a fun and nurturing environment, supported by our teachers throughout their early years and transition into primary school.
We are an Ofsted registered childcare provider and have received ‘Good’ ratings in our most recent inspections, with only minor improvement feedback. You can view our latest inspection report here.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance and all associated regulations.
Our History
Riverside Playgroup is a nonprofit charity with one core objective - to enhance the learning and development of children under statutory school age, specifically from age 2 and above.
Our primary source of funding comes from local authority grants, as well as fees charged for supplementary hours, equipment and activity costs.
Established over 30 years ago by playgroup leader Julie Windsor, Riverside Playgroup was first located on Twickenham riverside. In the early 2000s, we moved to our current location in York House Gardens and have been here ever since!
Our Values
We strive to create a warm, supportive atmosphere where children of all personalities, backgrounds and abilities can feel comfortable during their time with us. We pride ourselves on our solid reputation and excellent relationship with our parents - we see the siblings, friends and family members of our previous children year after year.
Our core values, which we encourage our children to folllow, include:
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Compassion - we show kindness towards each other and the world around us
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Integrity - we are honest, fair and take responsibility for our words and actions
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Respect - we treat everyone with consideration and embrace our different backgrounds & cultures
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Teamwork - we make sure everyone is included, help each other, and work together to succeed
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Development - we strive to learn, grow and do our best
Hours & Location
Our opening hours are:
Monday: 9:00am - 3:30pm
Tuesday: 9:00am - 3:30pm
Wednesday: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am - 12:00pm
We are open 38 weeks of the year in line with the Richmond borough school terms, and are closed for school holidays.
We are based in York House Gardens, at the far end of the sunken grass area.
Our Facilities
Our building offers space for up to 30 children to attend, in one mixed-age environment. Children are able engage in a vast range of activities, play alongside others and explore the outside world in our large garden area. We have an extensive collection of toys and games of all types, a ballpit and ample outside equipment - our children never get bored!
We also have a full kitchen, and bathroom facilities for children, adults and nappy changing.
Our Approach
At Riverside Playgroup we believe in a play-based approach led by the children, allowing them to learn and develop at their own pace, exploring their individual interests and developing their social skills by playing alongside others.
We value the unique personalities of each of our children, supporting their intellectual, social and emotional development as individuals whilst promoting a strong sense of community within our playgroup.
We pride ourselves on our ‘home-from-home’ environment, which we achieve by building positive working relationships with parents and families.
By creating an approachable, welcoming atmosphere, we hope to create an open dialogue to ensure children’s care and development is consistent between home and playgroup, and encourage parents to be involved wherever possible.
Our childcare offering is shaped by the four guiding principles as set out by the Early Years Foundation Stage:
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A Unique Child - Every child is a competent learner from birth, who can grow to be confident, capable, resilient and self-assured
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Positive Relationships - Children learn independence and emotional development from the basis of secure and loving relationships with parents, keyworkers and staff
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Enabling Environments - Children's environments play a key role in supporting and extending their development and learning
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Learning and Development - Children learn and develop at different rates in different ways, and all areas are interconnected and of equal importance